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Friday, August 6, 2010

IT'S ALIVE!!

Well, maybe not alive - but definitely polymer clay. =) I was giggling to myself as I sat here at my computer thinking of a title for today's blog. I mean I couldn't just call it "Brown Flower" - most people who think of brown flowers think of wilted, dead ones and this flower is very much ALIVE. This wonderful creation was made by Debbie Crothers. She used a combination of leaf, inks, and liquid polymer clay to achieve this wonderful, glossy, glass-like effect. Her beads and pendants just GLOW and hardly look like what most of us think of when we think of polymer clay, but that's one of the wonderful insights from this month's challenge to use leafs, foils, inks and paint - polymer clay can be made to resemble just about anything. Debbie is new to the PCAGOE, having joined just this past June, but already has made herself at home and wow'd the rest of us. You can find another one of her wonderful creations on Voila's shortlist HERE. To view more of Debbie's wonderful creations, check out her Etsy SHOP.

Tomorrow is the last day to vote in this month's PCAGOE challenge. It's been so wonderful to see what all the talented artists have done with their inspiration and leaf, foil, inks and/or paints. Everything is so unique and so different. Take a look and VOTE today! 5 lucky voters win a wonderful prize created by our guild artisans.

Where there's a will there's a way. I think that's kind of the catch phrase for anything polymer clay. As I started to develop my different canes and lines of products, I'm always asking myself, "What more can I do with this." Making jewelry is just one venue, but there is so many, many more directions you can take. Housewares has been a more recent addition to the products in my shop. It started from thinking about the PCAGOE challenge for June this year when we had to cover a tiny tin with a pattern. Since then I've covered pens, keychains, designed napkin rings, and been inspired to do so many other wonderful things - from individual ice buckets, to wine markers, to coasters and place card holders. I think I'll run out of clay before I run out of ideas. =) These three napkin rings are from three different lines that I've developed in the last month or two. They're such a wonderful way to show off the cane patterns. I'll probably fool around with the design some - make some shorter, some wider, etc etc - but as always, it's been a fantastic clay journey!